ALTOONA, IA— APRIL 13, 2017—When the starting gates open at Prairie Meadows for the first race of the 2017 Thoroughbred meet, horses and jockeys will circle a brand new inside rail. The Thoroughbred season will kick off Thursday, April 27 at Prairie Meadows’ one-mile track located in Altoona, Iowa.

The live Quarter Horse season kicks off on August 19 and runs through October 14. The 2017 Bank of America Challenge Championship Night will be hosted by the Iowa racetrack on closing night race card October 14.

Shortly after the live racing season ended in 2016, crews from Prairie Meadows and Horsemen’s Track & Equipment in Kentucky began the work of removing and replacing the existing inside rail.

''It was the original inside rail at this track; it served us well for over 20 years, but it was time for an update,'' said Lamont Marks, Track Superintendent at Prairie Meadows. ''Our new Rider Protection System® rail upgrades Prairie Meadows to exceed industry standards, and it provides the utmost safety for our jockeys and horses.''

''It’s the same inside rail that’s being used at tracks such as Churchill Downs, Keeneland, Turfway Park, Gulfstream Park, and Oaklawn,'' Marks added.

According to information from Horsemen’s Track & Equipment, the Rider Protection System® was created under a US patent. If an accident occurs, the rail is designed to help minimize injuries to horses and riders. Additionally, the top panels of the rail have been constructed to avoid deterioration when exposed to ultraviolet rays and to minimize shadows cast onto the track surface.

Following other major racing facilities’ lead, Prairie Meadows has replaced its round-style distance markers with new squared-style poles. The new poles are a combination of red and white for the quarter-mile markers, green and white for the eighth-mile markers, and black and white for the sixteenth-mile markers.

About Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows began operations as a non-profit organization in 1989 with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes, grants, and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given more than $1.6 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers more than 1,900 slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, hotel accommodations, entertainment, and more.